Suboptimal Neuromotor Development Related to Genetic Risk for Schizophrenia

Researchers examined neuromotor development of 1174 infants of European ancestry between age 2 and 5 months.

According to the results of a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry, genetic risk for schizophrenia was linked to nonoptimal infant neuromotor development. No such link was noted for bipolar disorder.

In this genome-wide association study, 1174 infants of European ancestry underwent neuromotor examination between age 2 and 5 months (median 2.9 months). Scores in the highest tertile were considered indicative of nonoptimal neuromotor development. Researchers evaluated associations between neuromotor development and polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the infants.

According to the investigators, study limitations include that "genetic pleiotropy or early environmental factors could also explain the association." Furthermore, the study may not have been powered to detect associations between polygenic risk scores for bipolar disorder and neuromotor development.

Nonetheless, the researchers concluded that "this is the first evidence that genetic liability for schizophrenia may covary with altered neuromotor development in infancy. Future research will show whether early neuromotor development can support early screening of susceptible groups possibly defined by genetic risk."

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